Wash. Democrats Won't Return JZ Knight Contribution

The gate to Ramtha's School of Enlightenment, Yelm, Washington. Photo by Richard David Ramsey via Wikipedia

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Originally published on October 25, 2012 9:40 am

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Democratic Party says it will not return $60,000 in contributions from a controversial spiritual leader from Yelm, Washington. This, despite the release of a video that shows JZ Knight delivering a profanity-laced attack on the Catholic Church and others.

In the video, Knight paces a stage in front of a large boisterous audience. In events like these she claims to be channeling an ancient male spirit named Ramtha. Knight as Ramtha uses the f-word repeatedly and rails against Catholics and the Catholic Church.

The heavily edited video was produced by a former student of JZ Knight and released by the Washington State Republican Party. Now the brother of that former student is coming to the defense of Knight.

Dave Champagne says Knight as Ramtha often uses profanity. He says it stems from a view that spiritual teachings should not be dressed up in polite language.

In this particular case, Champagne says Knight channeling Ramtha was attacking the Catholic Church for protecting pedophile priests.

“No long term student of the Ramtha School is shocked and horrified at Ram’s outrageous and sometimes even over the top expressions,” Champagne says.

Knight runs the controversial Ramtha School of Enlightenment near Olympia. This year she started giving generously to Democrats in Washington. In a rare interview in August., she anticipated controversy might follow her political contributions.

“I have not wanted to openly support candidates because I was worried that the backlash because I supported them would hurt them because of people’s ignorant perceptions about me,” she said.

That backlash has now happened. The chair of the Washington Republican Party calls the video “repulsive” and has demanded that Democrats return the contributions from Knight. A spokesman for the state Democratic Party says the contributions were not solicited and likely have already been spent and there are no plans to return the money.

In the video, Knight also rails against “homosexual priests” and then appears to turn her wrath to either Jewish people or Jesus Christ -- it’s not clear from the edited video.

In a statement, the Ramtha School says the quotes were taken out of context.